My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - The Video Game

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – the video game! It features an open-world free-roaming game, with different characters to play, story quests, side quests, mini-games, and even co-op mode. You mostly take control of Twilight Sparkle throughout the game, but in certain missions will have you taking control of Pinkie Pie, AppleJack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. For each character, they each have special abilities, such as Twilight and her magic, Rainbow Dash and her flying abilities, AppleJack and her strength, Fluttershy and her help with animals, etc.

They each provide different methods of taking out their enemies, but this isn’t a game with too much violence; it contains the power of friendship, so they must use other methods of taking out their foes. Twilight has magic spells that’ll help distract the enemies, Pinkie has cakes and foods, AppleJack has apples to throw at the enemies to slow them down, Fluttershy has her animals to hold down the enemies, Rarity uses fashion to either tie her enemies to a wall or distract them with her looks, and finally, Rainbow Dash has her flying abilities that can either make the enemy dizzy, or get them distracted with her pretty colors. All of the Mane Six has melee attacks, but only when necessary to get a foe out of the way, for self-defense. Offense will not be tolerated. All the attacks except for melee require some items that can only be bought by merchants, and at times, found lying around on the ground. Twilight needs Magic Energy Potion to refuel her magic, Pinkie Pie needs cakes and pies, AppleJack needs apples, Rainbow Dash needs Power Boost Water, Fluttershy needs to animal treats, and Rarity needs fabric.

But there won’t be just foes to hold the Mane Six back, there’s also puzzles, and there are certain ponies that are the only ones that are able to do them. Some puzzles involve gliding to another side of a gap, which is only a Pegasus can do, or use magic to open a gate, only a unicorn can do, and then there’s the amount of strength of either pushing a switch, or moving something out of the way, which is what only an earth pony can do. This also includes their special attacks, like only Twilight’s magic and open a certain door, and only an animal can crawl into small spaces to activate a switch, or deliver an item, or even AppleJack’s apples to throw at a target.

For each player, there will be a point in the mission that their animal companion can help them out, but only at a certain part of the mission. Twilight with Owlicious, Pinkie with Gummy, Rainbow Dash with Tank, etc. The player can take control of the animal, and the animals can crawl into small spaces, or get to a certain area of the map not accessible for the player, and they cannot be attacked, but they can only go to a certain limit away from where the pony is. While taking control of the pony, the animals can distract the enemies, or get bonus items that are laying around on the ground without the pony going over them.

Scattered around the levels, there are bits lying around. They can be found in crates, bushes, trees, jars, areas only accessible by pets, or maybe just lying around on the ground. The bits can be used to buy from merchants around the towns. They can be used to buy the items that the Mane Six needs for their special attacks, maybe some clothes to decorate the pony, or even health when they’re hurt.

Spike will be around to assist the player in their time of need. He’ll provide tips, he gives reminders if the player doesn’t remember the mission, and he also gives health to the player in a point where there is no health lying around, but for a small amount of bits in return. Spike is also around to help with health during boss battles, and areas you cannot escape from until the mission is over.

There are many different quests in this game, and many different ponies require help. Missions include: delivering an item to somepony, collect an item for somepony, locate something for somepony, go buy something for somepony, take out enemies for somepony (but for a good reason), and in this game there are also choices; this puts the player’s friendship to the test. For example: a foe did something bad and begs to let them go. Depending on their fate is depending on whichever they help the player later in the game, not come back, or do something bad again and you have no choice but to scare them away. Also in the game is speech, which also puts the player’s friendship to the test. Depending on the choices on what the pony says is what happens next. Friend or foe, depending on stopping them from doing something, have them assist you, or even help solve arguments to create more friendship for others. Depending on the choices you make in the game will also reward the player some bonus friendship points; depending how good they do will determine the points. There are other quests that involve solving friendship problems between ponies, or even doing a particular mini-game to win or earn something. Side-quests are also available in the game, that are kinda the same as the story missions, but they are optional on completing the game.

There are many different types of mini-games in this game which can be played by any of the Mane Six, or played by just one or a few. You can do these mini-games just for fun and win some extra money and friendship bonus points, or they’re required to finish a mission. The mini-games include a Scavenger Hunt game, when anypony has to go around town looking for items in a limited town; there’s also racing games, depending on fly racing or hoof racing; AppleJack does the hoof-racing, and Rainbow Dash does fly racing. There are laps for each race, and there are also bonus items in the races that can be used so the pony the player is racing as can go faster, or can be used to jump over another racer (AppleJack only). In the races, the player has to go through checkpoints so they know where the race track is heading, and some races feature bonuses to the final laps to win extra friendship points or bits, like in Rainbow Dash’s special final lap, she has to try to perform a sonic rainboom without slowing down or hitting any clouds in the way. There are many different types of mini-games in the game that are unique for each pony.

This game also contains friendship points, which are used to charge up the pony’s Element of Harmony when they get it later in the game. Friendship points can be earned, depending on how the choices they make, how they assist a pony, and a certain amount will be earned after each mission. There are six different friendship points in here: Magic, Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, and Generosity. Depending on the mission, and the pony the player plays as will depend on the type of friendship points they get. For example: if there is a mission that’ll always provide kindness points, if you play the mission as Pinkie, then you’ll earn some laughter points with it, and Rarity for generosity, etc. but as Fluttershy, it’ll be extra kindness points. Depending on the friendship points you’ll earn in this game will trigger the mission on locating the pony’s missing Element of Harmony, and depending on how far in the game you’ve gotten.

It’s an open world game, will lots of ponies around the background to talk to, and many areas to explore. The story starts off in Ponyville, and there will be other cities to explore depending on how far of the game you’ve gotten. In the beginning of the game, all other cities are locked for the time being. Other areas in the game will include Everfree Forest, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire, which will all be unlocked sometime later in the game. Other areas such as Appleoosa, the Changeling Hives, or Canterlot caves will only appear on a mission or two, and is not open for free-roam. Each missions will be triggered once the player locates the pony they need to see whom is located on the radar on the bottom of the screen. For example: Big McIntosh needs a job done, and he’s all the way in Sweet Apple Acres, but you don’t know how to get to him; the radar will help you locate him, and there is also a map of the entire town in the pause menu. The map will change, depending on the area you’re in, like the Canterlot map will replace the Ponyville map if you’re in Canterlot, and will change back to Ponyville once you get back there.

This game has a story. The princesses report that the Elements of Harmony have gone missing, and the Mane Six needs to go locate them, while that’s happening, hate and anger have been spreading throughout Equestria for an unknown purpose. It’s up to the Mane Six to find out the one responsible, who I believe should be a scientist that’s using technology to bring sadness and disharmony to other pony’s lives because this pony doesn’t know anything about friendship, and the Mane Six will have to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat the scientist, and bring the power of friendship to his life. Most of the side-missions in the game have nothing to do with the story, but they have their own little stories. Some side-missions are little mini-stories that connect them, and some stories are just one mission only.

Once the Mane Six locates the Elements of Harmony in the game, they can be used for a special power against enemies. Depending on the Element the pony will use will brainwash the enemy (or group of enemies) for a short amount of time. If Pinkie uses her element on a foe, the enemy starts laughing; if Fluttershy uses her element, then the enemy will be kind, etc. Friendship points are what powers up the elements, so only the power of friendship can power them up.

In the game, there are also boss battles, or duels, which involve enemies such as a manticore, Trixie, Discord, the Diamond Dogs, Queen Chrysalis, etc. These boss battles are either blockades to an area, or are the main requirement on finishing a mission. These boss battles all have different methods of defeat. Some of these battles require the Mane Six’s different unique abilities, some battles are puzzles that need to be solved in order for a boss battle to be defeated, and some (like the final battle) can only be defeated by using the Elements of Harmony, and the elements can be used to reform the foe and turn them into a friend. Spike will always be around during the battles to give health and ammo if needed, for a small amount of bits.

This game also includes a co-op version, which features new missions that can only be solved if the two players work together, and even changes the mini-games in the game to a friendly competition to earn friendship points.

Hidden around the maps, there are hidden items and stuff in the background that is a little side-mission to the game. One of them includes collector cards. All around the game there are collector cards that can be found anywhere in the maps, or can be earned after completing a task or a mission. These collector cards can include any character from the game (including background ponies), and they each have special attacks and health points, some are better than others, but normally the best cards are hidden away pretty good. Collector cards do not just come in characters, there are also items too such as cakes, the party cannon, Big Mac’s plow, or even abilities such as a sonic rainboom or pinkie sense. These collector cards can be used in the trading card game, which works kinda the same way as trading cards you normally play as Pokemon, or the trading card game from the game RAGE. Win the game, you can win double the bits you bet on, but win or lose, everyone wins friendship points by just playing in general. You can also play this game with your friends in co-op mode.

Also hidden around the background in the game is the one and only Derpy Hooves! She’s hidden really good around the maps, like the collector cards. To find her, you must locate crates, bushes, barrels, or even behind one of Zecora’s tikis and press the ‘use key’, then Derpy shows up and walks away. Find all the hidden Derpys to win her special collector card and an achievement. For each Derpy you find, you can also win friendship points.

And finally, in this game also includes achievements for XBOX Live, PS3, and / or maybe Steam. The achievements can be earned by either completing a certain mission, finding the hidden Derpys, the hidden collector cards, winning the mini-games in either record time or by doing a particular thing in the mini-game, or even by earning an amount of bits and friendship points.

Now I gotta say, this game really sounds like a good idea, and I really hope Hasbro has the time to make it, and / or agrees to make it. This game teaches cooperation, decision making, friendly competition, patience, and what friendship can do to even the meanest of all ponies. This game can also include FREE DLCs that can be downloaded in the game so the fun may never end, which can include new mini-games, and new missions, and maybe even new areas to explore. This game is perfect for kids and adults.